How to Evaluate a Potential Service Dog- Finding the Right Dog for Work

If you are looking for a new service dog it’s important to know how to evaluate a potential service dog.

The reality is that not all dogs can be service dogs. In fact, most dogs CAN’T be service dogs as they don’t have the correct temperament and disposition.

Essentially, in a service dog candidate, we’re looking for a dog who is confident, not fearful, not anxious, not aggressive.

We’re looking for a dog with strong food drive who wants to engage with the handler or owner.

We’re looking for a dog that, when stressed, can recover quickly.

You can’t know in a ten minute service dog evaluation if the dog will be capable of doing a whole service dog training program. But there are definitely some red flags that we look for in evaluating a dog for service work.